- Marissa Foltress denied that the cats were sick or needed veterinary care.
- However, one kitten was found dead at home and the others had to be euthanized.
Nearly 100 cats had to be removed from a woman's home because it “smelled like death”.
A kitten was found dead at Marissa Faultless's address in Sutton Coldfield, while others had to be euthanized due to cat flu and some had their eyes removed.
RSPCA inspectors were forced to raid her “disorganized” address in Tower Road three times. There, garbage was piled up to the height of the fence in the garden, and the interior was stained with urine and faces.
Faultless, 66, refused to accept that there was anything wrong with the cats and denied they needed veterinary treatment, but admitted they needed help.
Birmingham Crown Court heard she was not “deliberately cruel” and her actions were caused by a mental health disorder.
The 66-year-old mother admitted six animal welfare violations but made a last-ditch effort to have the plea overturned as a ploy to keep the cat, but failed.
Judge Peter Kerr sentenced her to a 12-month community order on Tuesday, April 9, including 15 days of rehabilitation activities and 12 psychological interventions. Fortress has also been banned from owning cats for 10 years.
He confirmed he had read the pre-sentence report and two psychiatric evaluations and told Faultless, “After hearing everything about this case and reading about you, I think you need help.” Ta.
Faultless replied, “You'll have to decide.” i need it. '
RSPCA prosecutor Sarah Platt said the case had a “long history” of police and Birmingham City Council attempting to co-operate with Ms Foltress following the initial complaint.
Ms Platt said in April 2021 that pet owners were provided with a copy of the Animal Welfare Act and a code of conduct to care for their cats in a way that “doesn't break the law”.
However, Platt added that “nothing has changed” and a warrant was executed on September 2 of that year, resulting in the removal of 34 cats and kittens.
Another 24 people were found outside, but police were unable to catch them and had no legal authority to seize them.
Mr Platt continued: “In the garden outside the house, garbage was piled up to the height of the fence.
“There were many cats and kittens on the property. There was an overwhelming smell of urine and an accumulation of feces in the living room. There were no proper litter pans. The house was in a state of clutter. .”
Many of the cats suffered from cat flu as well as fleas, and Ms Faultless refused to formally sign any of the cats to the RSPCA. In her interview she admitted ownership of them, but she denied that she had any signs of influenza or ringworm.
Foltress also blamed the coronavirus for not getting flea treatment, but insisted the cats didn't need veterinary care. Pratt said she claimed she didn't notice any odor, but she acknowledged she had a hard time managing her many pets.
Further complaints led to further visits to her home in June and July 2022, leading to a second warrant execution in August.
“Conditions on the premises were deteriorating,” Pratt said. There was an overwhelming smell of urine, feces, and what others described as “death.”
A dead kitten was found in the house while 26 cats were adopted. The four-week-old pup was particularly weak and had to be euthanized. A third raid took place in April 2023, when 34 more cats had to be removed.
The court was told that several of the cats had to have their eyes removed due to severe influenza, and Faultless broke down crying on the dock, saying: “No, no, that's not happening.” One cat died after being operated on by a veterinarian.
Mr Platt said: “Each cat was clearly in pain and distress. A reasonably competent and humane person would have sought veterinary attention.”
She told the court that although many of the cats had died, the majority had been rehomed, with some remaining at the boarding facility awaiting adoption.
Queenie Jean, defending, said: “This is Ms. Faultless's first crime. She was not intentionally cruel.” It is directly related to the mental illness she suffers from.
“She had a history of owning cats before committing the offences, and had no problems with them. She has received support from other organisations.”
